EN 03 · RSPB reserve guide
RSPB Bempton Cliffs
Bempton, East Yorkshire, England · YO15 1JF
A spectacular seabird city where Puffins, Gannets, Guillemots and Razorbills crowd towering chalk cliffs.
Decide if the visit fits.
RSPB Bempton Cliffs at a glance
Last checked 9 October 2026.
- Best time
- April–mid July
- Opening & entry
- Hours, admission and parking: see Entry below.
- Trails & visit length
- The latest linked trail map separates the Jubilee Corner Trail, 2.2km with a walking estimate of 45 minutes, the Staple Newk Trail, 2km and 40 minute…
- Accessibility
- The visitor centre and shop have level, open-plan access, with Blue Badge parking and a drop-off arrangement close to the building.
- Facilities
- The centre provides toilets, an accessible toilet, baby changing, a shop and café with indoor, outdoor and takeaway options.
- Dogs
- Dogs are allowed on the footpaths and in the visitor centre, on a short lead throughout the visit.
- Public transport
- Bempton station is on Northern’s Hull–Scarborough railway line.
Reserve overview
RSPB Bempton Cliffs reserve and habitat
A spectacular seabird city where Puffins, Gannets, Guillemots and Razorbills crowd towering chalk cliffs.
Eight checks for a smoother visit.
Planning your visit to Bempton Cliffs
Conditions change: check the operator and transport notices before travelling.
Bempton Cliffs best time to visit and seasonal birds
January: the breeding ledges are usually quiet. Watch winter finches and buntings along the Nature Trail in the morning, then scan the grassland near Jubilee Corner for hunting owls towards late afternoon. A clear sea view from Bartlett Nab can add passing birds. February: use the Dell and sheltered scrub for small birds, with Short-eared or Barn Owls possible over rough grassland. Morning light usually suits a slow coastal scan; save an exposed clifftop walk for manageable wind conditions. March: Gannets, Guillemots and Razorbills typically begin rebuilding the colony’s activity. Staple Newk offers a useful Gannet watch; Bartlett Nab gives another angle on occupied ledges. Morning visits leave time to compare flight and landing behaviour. April: Puffins usually return as the colony fills. Search crevices from the designated platforms and watch approaching birds rather than expecting them on every ledge. The Nature Trail adds spring song, often strongest early in the day. May: incubation and territorial activity make the cliffs busy. Give Staple Newk and New Roll-up long viewing stops, separating Gannets, Kittiwakes and auks by shape and behaviour. A quiet morning is usually easier for listening away from the colony. June: chick feeding and repeated flights are typically the focus. Compare the colony from Bartlett Nab and Mosey Downgate, then listen for Skylarks and Corn Buntings along permitted grassland paths. Early morning or later daylight can soften harsh light. July: young auks begin leaving the cliffs and Puffins usually depart by around mid-month. Gannets continue feeding young. Use Staple Newk for a patient flight watch, with an early start helping avoid the busiest visitor period. August: Gannets remain a useful target while the main auk season fades. Watch the ledges and sea from New Roll-up or Staple Newk, then inspect Nature Trail scrub for small birds. Morning light usually helps with distant identification. September: late Gannet breeding overlaps with migration. The Dell and Nature Trail can hold migrant warblers, Goldcrests and other passing birds. Start early to listen and notice birds arriving or moving along the headland. October: thrush passage and autumn scrub watching usually replace the summer colony as the main attraction. Give the Dell and sheltered patches time, then use a safe platform for a sea scan when visibility permits. November: winter finches and buntings become useful morning targets on the Nature Trail. Rough grassland may attract hunting owls late in the day. Keep the return route short enough to finish within the access window. December: choose a calm-weather circuit between the nearest platforms and grassland views. Typically a morning brings small-bird activity, while the last daylight may favour owls. Flamborough Bird Observatory’s daily highlights supply dated headland context; read the named locality carefully.
RSPB Bempton Cliffs opening times, entry and facilities
Use the visitor entrance on Cliff Lane, Bempton, YO15 1JF. The October calendar lists the reserve and car park as dawn to dusk, with the visitor centre, shop and toilets 9.30am–5pm and café 9.30am–3.30pm. Keep opening information separate from the walking plans below, especially for an early or late visit. Published adult non-member admission is £8 in March–October and £4 in November–February; student admission is £6 or £3 respectively. Children aged 5–15 pay £4 or £2, with the first child free. Under-fives, RSPB members, carers and visitors aged 16–24 enter free. Parking is included. Ordinary admission does not require advance booking, but groups of ten or more and externally led groups must arrange their visit. Buy admission at the visitor centre and retain time for a proper orientation before heading to the cliffs.
Bempton Cliffs trails, hides and visit length
The latest linked trail map separates the Jubilee Corner Trail, 2.2km with a walking estimate of 45 minutes, the Staple Newk Trail, 2km and 40 minutes, and the Nature Trail, 1km and 20 minutes. Birding stops make those estimates longer. Begin by identifying which arm of the clifftop route suits your interests and mobility rather than treating every platform as an obligatory stop. For a two-hour visit, walk to Bartlett Nab for a broad introduction to the cliff birds, then continue towards Staple Newk if the route suits you. Spend enough time at a platform to follow a bird from the sea to its ledge: flight, landing and interactions often help identification more than repeatedly changing viewpoint. Keep the final part of the visit for a short Nature Trail or Dell watch and an unhurried return to the centre. For a full day, combine both clifftop arms, using Jubilee Corner, New Roll-up, Mosey Downgate and Staple Newk as separate observation stops. Add the Nature Trail for grassland song and scrub birds, with a break at the centre between circuits. In summer, return to a productive platform after the light changes; in autumn, give sheltered vegetation more time than the empty breeding ledges. These are editorial visit plans, not additional marked trails. Stay behind barriers, keep tripods out of passing space, and let people moving along the path pass safely before returning to a long colony watch.
Bempton Cliffs accessibility and step-free routes
The visitor centre and shop have level, open-plan access, with Blue Badge parking and a drop-off arrangement close to the building. The three nearest viewpoints include wheelchair viewing bays, allowing a shorter cliff experience without committing to the farther grass sections. Benches near viewpoints are useful for dividing a visit into manageable stages. RSPB offers two Trampers, with advance booking recommended, and push wheelchairs. A Tramper donation is requested rather than a fixed hire charge. Discuss the chosen route before booking equipment: the Jubilee route mixes tarmac and wide grass, while the Staple Newk approach includes grass and stone beyond the surfaced section. The Nature Trail has an incline. A general claim that the reserve is accessible should not be read as identical conditions on every path. For a mobility-dependent visit, start with the nearest platform and judge the surface before extending the circuit. Wind and exposure can make a clifftop stop tiring even where the path is firm. Allow room at viewing bays and keep clear of the cliff barrier. The reserve’s detailed access information is the useful source for equipment and individual requirements.
Bempton Cliffs visitor facilities
The centre provides toilets, an accessible toilet, baby changing, a shop and café with indoor, outdoor and takeaway options. Bicycle racks are available; cycling is not permitted on the reserve footpaths, though a bike can be pushed. Bring a warm layer even in summer because a long platform watch is exposed. Binocular hire is available, with the published charge £10. Overnight parking and touring caravans are not permitted, and barbecues are prohibited. Keep food wrappers secured against the coastal wind.
Bempton Cliffs dog rules
Dogs are allowed on the footpaths and in the visitor centre, on a short lead throughout the visit. Assistance dogs are welcome in all areas. Keep pets close at platforms and away from grassland wildlife; a long extending lead is unsuitable beside busy paths and cliff barriers.
Bempton Cliffs public transport and getting there
Bempton station is on Northern’s Hull–Scarborough railway line. The RSPB describes the reserve as roughly 1–1.5 miles from the village and station, with a rural-road approach. Work out the final walking route before choosing a train, especially if carrying heavy equipment or travelling with children. A taxi from Bridlington is a practical alternative when the road walk is unsuitable; book both outward and return journeys. The RSPB identifies rail as the car-free approach; allow for the onward walk or arrange a taxi. Train access is the genuine car-free option. A bus into a larger coastal town still requires a separate onward connection. Drivers should follow the visitor-centre signs to Cliff Lane rather than navigating to a cliff-edge map pin. The stay routes below were measured from each settlement to the published RSPB arrival point, with estimated driving durations. A hotel on the far side of a town can add a further local leg.
Useful bases for an early start.
Where to stay near Bempton Cliffs
Booking.com links are affiliate links: we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. How these links work.
- 01
Bempton
About 1.5 miles by road, roughly 5 minutes’ drive from Bempton to the visitor arrival point. Allow extra time around Bempton for traffic.
Measured driving route · 2026-10-09. Map estimates exclude live traffic.
Best for early colony visits and village B&Bs or cottages.Find places to stay in Bempton on Booking.com - 02
Bridlington
About 5.4 miles by road, roughly 15 minutes’ drive from Bridlington to the visitor arrival point. Allow extra time around Bridlington for traffic.
Measured driving route · 2026-10-09. Map estimates exclude live traffic.
Best for the broadest local mix of seafront hotels, guesthouses and self-catering.Find places to stay in Bridlington on Booking.com - 03
Filey
About 10.2 miles by road, roughly 20 minutes’ drive from Filey to the visitor arrival point. Allow extra time around Filey for traffic.
Measured driving route · 2026-10-09. Map estimates exclude live traffic.
Choose Filey for a multi-day coastal break and larger accommodation choice.Find places to stay in Filey on Booking.com - 04
Scarborough
About 16.9 miles by road, roughly 30 minutes’ drive from Scarborough to the visitor arrival point. Allow extra time around Scarborough for traffic.
Measured driving route · 2026-10-09. Map estimates exclude live traffic.
Choose Scarborough for a multi-day coastal break and larger accommodation choice.Find places to stay in Scarborough on Booking.com
Bempton Cliffs official sightings, safety and contact
Contact the reserve on 01262 422212 or bempton.cliffs@rspb.org.uk for group arrangements and access enquiries. The RSPB explicitly links Flamborough Bird Observatory’s daily recent highlights as its sightings source. Those reports cover the wider headland as well as Bempton, so use the locality attached to a record rather than transferring every sighting to this reserve. The official trail map, opening calendar, charges and facilities pages are linked below for planning.
Best months for this reserve
Nearby complete guides.
Bird reserves near Bempton Cliffs
Stops with a purpose: use one as a contrasting habitat or weather-proof Plan B. Distances are straight-line estimates, not road journeys.
- About 4 miles away · A familiar habitatFlamborough Head and Flamborough Bird ObservatorySpring seabirds · autumn migration · winter coast
- About 33 miles away · A useful habitat changeFar Ings National Nature ReserveWinter wildfowl · spring breeding birds · autumn migration
- About 38 miles away · A useful habitat changeRSPB Blacktoft SandsSpring Avocets and warblers · summer and autumn waders · winter raptor roosts